Pilot survives Louisiana Cessna crash after engine falls off
A 74-year-old pilot escaped with minor injuries after the engine fell off his Cessna 210 shortly after takeoff in Gonzales, Louisiana, on October 13, 2026.
The airplane crashed in a field near Louisiana Regional Airport (REG) and came to rest upside down. Emergency crews found the pilot walking around the scene, Gonzales Fire Chief Preston Landry told local media outlets.
The engine was found on a nearby road, roughly 100 yards from the airplane.
Ascension Parish Sheriff’s OfficeAscension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre told WAFB that the engine separated before the aircraft hit the ground. The sheriff’s office said the pilot suffered a minor cut to his head.
FlightAware data showed the airplane departing shortly before 05:00 local time, with the recorded flight ending less than a minute later. Authorities have not released the aircraft’s altitude when the engine separated.
Landry said firefighters were notified of the crash at about 05:55. The pilot was assessed by medical personnel at the scene but declined to be taken to a hospital by ambulance.
The fire chief described foggy conditions around the time of the accident.
It remains unclear why the engine separated. Maintenance records and an examination of the engine mount and attachment hardware could help establish what happened.
Propellers and engine cowlings have separated from light aircraft in flight in previous accidents, but the sheriff’s account describing the loss of the entire engine is exceedingly rare in light aviation.The post Pilot survives Louisiana Cessna crash after engine falls off appeared first on AeroTime.
A 74-year-old pilot escaped with minor injuries after the engine fell off his Cessna 210 shortly after takeoff…
The post Pilot survives Louisiana Cessna crash after engine falls off appeared first on AeroTime.
